Rocking mechanical toys



Jan. 17, 1967 WALDEN 3,298,120

ROCKING MECHANICAL TOYS Filed Nov. 8, 1965 IN VEN TOR. Lesfer M. Walden United States Patent 3,298,120 ROCKING MECHANICAL TOYS Lester M. Walden, 605 Cheyenne Blvd., Colorado Springs, Colo. 80906 Filed Nov. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 506,758 Claims. (Cl. 40106.41)

This invention relates to mechanical toys and in particular to a toy which simulates an adult rocking a child.

It is the prinicipal object of my invention to provide a toy for the amusement of children which, in addition thereto, may provide pleasure to an adult and which is, in effect, removed from overtones of the serious phases of our lives.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a mechanical toy which may be operated by the very youngest children without danger.

These and other objects of my invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of the drawings which illustrate a preferred physical embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of the toy with the base cut away to show the mechanical drive,

FIGURE 2 is a view taken from the bottom of the toy prior to complete assembly of components on the top,

FIGURE 3 is a view partly in cross section taken through one leg of the adult likeness of the toy and along lines 33 of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross section view of the linkage from the drive to the moving elements of the toy taken along line 44 of FIGURE 1.

The mechanical toy illustrated in the drawings comprises the likeness of an adult 10, FIGURE 1, seated in a rocking chair 11 and supporting a child 12 on a crossed leg. It is intended that, for the most part, the likenesses of the adult, child and chair be constructed of a plastic or other moldable material. It is further intended that items of dress, colors and ornamentation may be used to satisfy the requirements of manufacture and marketing of the toy.

The rocking chair 11 is set on a raised area of the molded plastic base 13 and engages the base by the application of a series of pin-like projections 14 on the chair rockers, these projections being designed to engage a corresponding series of holes or identations 15 in the base. A coil extension spring 16 secures the chair and base in mutual contact yet permits the chair to rock back and forth within the limits of movement hereinafter considered. A further elevated portion 17 of base 13 is situated between the two chair rockers in abutting relationship therewith to prevent the chair from being moved sideways or from being tilted and disengaged from the base. It is, of course, necessary that clearance be provided between raised portion 17 and the chair rockers to permit chair 11 to be rocked. The adult likeness is fastened to the chair with suitable drive pins or screws 18.

Driving means to actuate the toy originates with an electric motor 19 of miniature proportions, see also FIG- URE 2, which derives its energy from a small battery 20 suitably wired thereto including a conventional off-on switch. Motor 19 and battery 20 are secured to the underside of base 13.

Motor 19 is, in turn, coupled to and drives a planetary gear reduction uit 21 which is also secured to the underside of base 13. Gear unit 21 is such that it will reduce the speed from that of the motor output shaft and will provide approximately forty-five revolutions per minute at the crank arm 22 on the output shaft of gear unit 21. Planetary gearing for small toys is a well known expedient for reducing or increasing speed and requires no detailed description. As an alternate drive, the mecha- 3,298,120 Patented Jan. 17, 1967 ICC nism of my invention may derive its motion from a ratcheted clock spring and a planetary gear unit.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a linkage member 23 is connected between the planetary unit crank 22 and the left foot 24 of the adult 10 to raise and lower leg 25 to the extreme positions shown by the broken line representations of the foot 24. It will be noted here that there is an elongated aperture 33 in base 13 providing clearance for the linkage member 23 and that the upper end of member 23 is pivotally fastened to foot 24 using pin 35. FIGURE 4 shows this connection in detail with a further illustration of slot 34 provided for member 23 located in the heel area of leg 25.

Thus, the adult 10 with the rocking chair will be tilted forward and backward when the drive is actuated simulating the action of a rocking chair. The crossed leg 26 supporting the child likeness 12 will toss the child to a high and low position shown by the broken line indications of the childs head and foot as will now be considered.

Leg 26 of the adult includes a flat metal crank 27 above the knee and secured thereto by apertures 29 which permit the plastic material to flow therethrough during molding. Crank 27 is pivotally connected at 28 to the knee portion of the adults thigh. This construction may also be seen in FIGURE 3 in which the plastic material is shown cross sectioned. The flat crank 27 extends into a slotted recess provided in the adults thigh and it is connected to base 13 by means of a rigid wire link 30,

the upper end of which engages the crank at hole 31 and the lower end of which is coupled to the eye 32 fastened to the top side of raised portion 17 of the base. As rocking chair 11 is titled forward, crank 27 will be urged clockwise with respect to pivot center 28, tilting the foreleg 26 in a downward direction. Conversely, the crank 27 will be moved counterclockwise about pivot center 28 as the chair is rocked backward, hence the foreleg 26 will be tilted upwardly.

The child 12 is pivotally attached to the adults foreleg 26 by use of an appropriate pin member 36 and is further joined to the adult by the rigid attachment of arms 37, pivoted at 37, with the adults forearms 38. Each forearm 38 is, in turn, pivotally joined to its respective upper arm 39 by a pin 40. The upper arms 39 are attached to the adults shoulders, but in adjustably fixed relationship, using friction joint connections at centers 41.

As the child is raised and lowered by foreleg 26, the up and down action also results in a cycle of movement of the arms of the child and the adult to provide a lifelike appearance. The posture of the child may be set to remain substantially erect by positioning of the adjustably fixed connections at 41.

Operation of the toy requires only the actuation of the off-on switch in the motor circuit. Crank arm 22 on the planetary output shaft will rotate and produce a rocking of the adult in chair 11. As this rocking takes place, the child will be tossed up and down once during each revolution of the output shaft. The appearance thus presented by the toy will be that of the familiar parental tossing of a child supported on the foot of a crossed leg.

Modifications of the degree of motion and the speed at which this takes place may obviously be made by changes in the general design or in the planetary gearing. The device of the invention may, further, be adapted for display advertising and switching may be coin operated in other novelty applications.

A still further possibility in the application of the principles of the invention would be the use of a life size version of the devices as a novelty riding amusement for children with provision for a tot to sit on the leg in place of the child figure used on the miniature toy.

The appended claims are intended to cover any such modifications within the limits of the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a mechanical toy, in combination, a base, a miniature rocking chair on the base, an adult likeness secured to said chair, a pivoted foreleg on said adult likeness, a child figure pivotally joined to the foot portion of said foreleg, pivoted coupling means between the upper arms of the adult and the shoulders of the child, adjustably fixed friction joints between the upper arms and shoulder areas of the adult, driving means to rock the chair on the base and to simultaneously pivot the adult foreleg up and down.

2. A mechanical toy as defined in claim 1 in which the driving means comprises a battery actuated miniature electric motor coupled with a planetary reduction gear unit.

3. A mechanical toy as claimed in claim 1 including a series of projections on the rocking chair and a corresponding series of holes on the base whereby register between the chair and base is maintained during opera- 2 tion of the toy.

4. A mechanical toy as defined in claim 1 including elastic tensioning means engaged between the base and chair for holding the chair in contact with the base.

5. A mechanical toy as defined in claim 1 including side guides on the base to restrain the chair in alignment therewith during rocking of the chair.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 569,950 10/1896 Boettcher 40106.34 X 1,226,835 5/1917 Wilder 40106.41 1,462,006 7/1923 Hall 40-10641 X 1,666,018 4/1928 Mayette 40106.4l X 2,254,091 8/1941 Rossi 40106.34 X 2,304,344 12/1942 Dignowity 40-10641 X 2,334,472 11/1943 Bleecker 461 18 FOREIGN PATENTS 208,762 12/1923 Great Britain.

References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 403,307 4/ 1889 Teichmann. 1,474,852 11/1923 Ryback. 2,698,499 1/ 1955 Dygon.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

HERBERT F. ROSS, Examiner. 

1. IN A MECHANICAL TOY, IN COMBINATION, A BASE, A MINIATURE ROCKING CHAIR ON THE BASE, AN ADULT LIKENESS SECURED TO SAID CHAIR, A PIVOTED FORELEG ON SAID ADULT LIKENESS, A CHILD FIGURE PIVOTALLY JOINED TO THE FOOT PORTION OF SAID FORELEG, PIVOTED COUPLING MEANS BETWEEN THE UPPER ARMS OF THE ADULT AND THE SHOULDERS OF THE CHILD, ADJUSTABLY FIXED FRICTION JOINTS BETWEEN THE UPPER ARMS AND SHOULDER AREAS OF THE ADULT, DRIVING MEANS TO ROCK THE CHAIR ON THE BASE AND TO SIMULTANEOUSLY PIVOT THE ADULT FORELEG UP AND DOWN. 